AHMEDABAD: There was high drama outside Dr Vanikar Bhavan in Paldi, when the leaders of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) and those owing alliance to the new Antarrashtriya Hindu Parishad (AHP), the outfit launched by former VHP international working president Pravin Togadia came face to face over ownership of the building, which the AHP was using as its office.While Gujarat VHP secretary Ashok Raval claimed the building belongs to the Vanikar Smarak Trust and the VHP, former VHP leader Kaushik Mehta and editor of the Vishwa Hindu Samachar (VHS) claimed that the Bhavan, through a court order, was in the possession of the Vishwa Hindu Samachar.On Saturday, Raval and a few VHP workers reached Dr Vanikar Bhavan to take possession of it. Since Raval had sought police protection, large numbers of security personnel were at the spot to prevent a flare-up. The incident occurred on the day Togadia had announced the launch of his new political party, Hindustan Nirmal Dal (HND), in New Delhi. Raval and his men entered the office and took possession of the building. They claimed it was a smooth takeover, done under videography, but the rebel group led by Kaushik Mehta said goons of the RSS entered the office by breaking the lock and pushed him and other staffers out “despite us having court permission to use it as our office,” said Mehta.Raval claimed the VHP is the rightful owner of the building. This is not the office of the AHP. The AHP made this its office without permission from the Vanikar Smarak Trust, which owns the building. The trust realised that AHP leaders were using it for political purposes. We opposed this and registered a complaint with the charity commissioner.”He said no political activity is allowed by the trust, and the AHP planned to use the building to form a political party, which is wrong. “Of the 15 members of the trust, 10 are with the VHP,” he said. He said a meeting of the trust was held and it resolved to remove five trustees from the board. These trustees owed allegiance to the AHP and were involved in activities against the ethics of the trust. Kaushik Mehta said, “Through a court order, VHS is the legal owner of the building. The police, which has no role to play, used force and pushed us out of the building. Even an advocate who was showing the court order to the cops was pushed out. Our things have been damaged as police vandalized the office.” The cops entered the room used by Pravinbhai as his office, broke the lock and vandalized the place.” He said the trustees are being made to sit outside while goons are sitting inside the office.Togadia alleged the VHP’s action aimed to creating hurdles for his new political foray, and to malign him. He alleged that police personnel vandalized his office.“When I was announcing a new political party in Delhi (on Saturday), more than 200 police personnel took control of Vanikar Bhavan to hinder the announcement, and malign me. They entered the room I used as my office, broke the lock and vandalized the place. Possession of the building is with us, by a court order,” he said. Togadia demanded that police vacate the place immediately.

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